LOUISVILLE, Ky.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct 9, 2013--Papa John's today hosted a grand celebration in London in recognition of the company reaching the 1,000 th international restaurant milestone. The celebration, which featured an international flair with guests waving flags from some of the 35 countries and territories that Papa John's operates in, featured Papa John's founder, chairman and CEO, John Schnatter, and hundreds of Papa John's fans from around London.

Papa John's founder, chairman, and CEO, John Schnatter, second from right, and Tony Thompson, Papa John's president and COO, celebrate the company reaching the 1,000 international restaurant milestone during a celebration in London. (Photo: Business Wire)

"Today's event was a great way to celebrate a milestone that so few brands have ever reached," said Schnatter. "We are very pleased with the steady growth of Papa John's in the international arena over the last 15 years. With more than 1,000 restaurants operating in 35 countries and territories, we are able to deliver on our 'Better Ingredients. Better Pizza.' brand promise in virtually every corner of the world, from Europe to Asia, and South America to the Middle East."

Papa John's first restaurant outside of North America opened in Mexico City in 1998, and just 15 years later, the brand's 1,000 th restaurant opened in Moscow, Russia this past July. Currently, there are 4,300 Papa John's restaurants in 35 countries and territories, 1,045 of which are located outside of North America.

"Over the past several years we have had a concerted focus on our international operations, and have significantly ramped up our development efforts," said Tony Thompson, Papa John's president and COO. "International development is the long-term growth engine for Papa John's, and we will continue to bring a better pizza experience to more and more consumers around the world."

Headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky, Papa John's International, Inc. (NASDAQ: PZZA) is the world's third largest pizza company. For 12 of the past 14 years, consumers have rated Papa John's No. 1 in customer satisfaction among all national pizza chains in the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI). Papa John's is the Official Pizza Sponsor of the National Football League and Super Bowl XLVIII. For more information about the company or to order pizza online, visit Papa John's at www.papajohns.com, or visit us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/PapaJohns, on Twitter at http://twitter.com/PapaJohns, or on our blog at www.papajohnsblog.com.